Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 27 that are worth another look.Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe moved further up day on day on Thursday August 27, sources told Fastmarkets.Aluminium producers have begun their...Read More
Gold bugs may finally be taking their summer (stay)vacation. Aftermonths of frenetic activity in the bullion markets, physical buying and sellingslowed a bit last week. Therespite, if it persists, could be welcome news for investors who have beenfrustrated by product scarcity and higher premiums.TheCOVID-19-associated economic troubles have not been resolved, but those storiesaren’t commandi...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US market under pressureUS prices for welded pipe products were under pressure because market participants, especially distributors, have started to take steps to generate cash and were moving material if they were able to do so, even if it meant selling at low prices.We expect more such "fire sales" in the coming months, bu...Read More
Independent financial analyst Matt Badiali presents the investment case for copper.Copper will be the next metal to break out in 2020, and it's all about demand.The price of copper just broke through $3.00 per pound. The red metal's price rose 45% so far in 2020. But that is still well below its 2011 high of $4.50 per pound.That could change in the second half of this year. The reason for copper's...Read More
Three-month prices for base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mostly flat at the close of trading on Thursday August 27, with investor sentiment jittery after US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell announced a greater focus on job security in Thursday's meeting, while tin futures performed best in high-volume trading.Powell highlighted targets for an average inflation rate of 2% over time,...Read More
The 1987 stock market crash occurred after aperiod with a similar build up to the 2020 crash. After being stuck in a rangefor a number of years in the 1970s and the 2000s, the Dow managed to breakhigher after a significant gold peak in 1980 as well as 2011 respectively. Seethe chart below: In both cases, prices more than doubled overa period of at least 90 months from the level it was at the gold...Read More
Predictions for gold’s price are based on seemingly sound fundamentals and logic; but the fundamentals are incorrect and presented in unrealistic context. Here are some things to keep in mind when you see any predictions for the price of gold. GOLD IS NOT AN INVESTMENT Gold, itself, is not an investment. Gold is real money and the original measure of value for everything else.A h...Read More
The publication of Fastmarkets' European cobalt price assessments on Thursday August 27 was delayed due to technical issues.The Fastmarkets price book and database have both since been updated.The cobalt price assessments affected by the delay were:MB-CO-0004 Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lbMB-CO-0005 Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lbFor more information, or to provid...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday August 27 that are worth another look.Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe moved further up day on day on Thursday August 27, sources told Fastmarkets.Aluminium producers have begun their...Read More
Aluminium producers have begun their negotiations for the fourth-quarter Japan aluminium benchmark premium, and participants told Fastmarkets they expect premiums to rise, albeit marginally. The benchmark quarterly main Japanese ports (MJP) premium has fallen each quarter this year from $83 per tonne in the first quarter, to $82 per tonne in the second and $75-79 per tonne in the third quarte...Read More
Three-month prices for base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mostly flat at the close of trading on Thursday August 27, with investor sentiment jittery after US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell announced a greater focus on job security in Thursday's meeting, while tin futures performed best in high-volume trading.Powell highlighted targets for an average inflation rate of 2% over time,...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were relatively flat across the board despite recent transactions done in the fob market, although market participants agreed that India alone cannot support the premium for mid-volatility hard coking coal prices for long. Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $105.92 per tonne, up $0.01 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $114.70 per tonn...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange largely consolidated during morning trading on Thursday August 27, with thin turnover seeing price action largely unmoved, while continued weakness in the US dollar index failed to spur buying sentiment across metal markets ahead of this afternoon's Federal Reserve speech.Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is set to give a talk later on...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US market under pressureUS prices for welded pipe products were under pressure because market participants, especially distributors, have started to take steps to generate cash and were moving material if they were able to do so, even if it meant selling at low prices.We expect more such "fire sales" in the coming months, bu...Read More
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSSThere's no easy way to get through this financial crisis without pain. Whether it's a 1930s style deflationary crash or a Weimar style hyperinflation...John Rubino of Dollar Collapse interviewed by Paul "Half Dollar" EberhartThere is no easy way to get through this massive financial crisis without ext...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the year 2020 to date in late August, the Fastmarkets 62% Fe iron ore benchmark has powered along and reached six-year highs, supported by Chinese demand, and despite the global economic uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Iron ore demand has weakened almost everywhere except in China, where it has continued to...Read More
Aluminium producers have begun their negotiations for the fourth-quarter Japan aluminium benchmark premium, and participants told Fastmarkets they expect premiums to rise, albeit marginally. The benchmark quarterly main Japanese ports (MJP) premium has fallen each quarter this year from $83 per tonne in the first quarter, to $82 per tonne in the second and $75-79 per tonne in the third quarte...Read More
Italian re-rollers have failed to achieve price rises for heavy steel plate due to poor demand from main consuming segments, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe was unchanged over the week at ?,?440-470 ($520-555) per tonne on August 26, compared with ?,?450-470 per tonne a week earlier.Official offers for material hav...Read More
Tin producer Alphamin Resources will benefit from a new ruling by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that will allow it and other miners to export concentrate from the central African country, the International Tin Association (ITA) said on Tuesday August 25.Export restrictions applying not only to tin but to tungsten, tantalum concentrate, and cobalt hydroxide and carbonate, were removed by t...Read More
Sentiment improving as US and Chinese jewelers gain confidence ahead of holiday season. Rough sales rise due to polished shortages and lower prices. Sight goods selling at premiums on the secondary market after De Beers reduced prices 6% to 8% for 1 ct. rough and larger. Concerns that strong rough buying will squeeze liquidity and lead to polished oversupply. Polished demand selective, with wide a...Read More